The faithful provision of God

If there were a survival kit for the Christian life. Things absolutely essential to keep believer walking with Jesus, what would you put in there. Not just material things. Think about it?

I wonder if we every feel like something missing.

Tempting to hear stories of mircales and feel like we are missing out. Or wondering if there is some secret to Godliness that we do know about. Silver bullet of sancitfication.

Another pasasge today full of long names and lists - but I hope by now seen the richness that is to be found if we are willing to dig. And today my prayer is that our hearts will...

Praise God who has given everything you need for Life and Godliness!

Two questions for reading. Where do the Levites live and what do the Levites get?

(Clue - Levites include Kohathites, Gershomites and Merrair)

READING

God’s people in the land, enjoying peace and prosperity, in a land of justice - what we saw last week. Writer comes back to Levites. Remember back in 13-19, onlt ones not to get land as inheritance.

No shock to them - According to instructions made long ago back in Numbers 35

Background

Levites are decendends of Levi - great grandson of Abraham. 1 of 12, became tribes of Israel. Levites were mix of blessing and curse. Levi was cursed after slaughtering Schechemites, and his tribe was scattered as punishment. But also Levites were blessed - when pepole worshipped golden calf, and faced God’s punishment, it was Sons of Levi who showed loyalty to God in face of unfaithfulness - and became preist and support staff for the tabernacle and later the temple. They became the Lord’s select tribe to lead Israel in the worship of God.

Important. Because here find ISrael in promised land. 12 tribes. and where are Levites - scattered, sojourners, no cities to call their own, and yet with privaledged position of leading people in worship of God.

Significance - What God says, he will do, every promise of God comes true.

After all this has been dominant theme throughout. God’s faithfulness to promises and generousity to his people. End of chapter serves as vain runs through whole book - Summary of all that has come before

Joshua 21:43–45 NIV

So the Lord gave Israel all the land he had sworn to give their ancestors, and they took possession of it and settled there. The Lord gave them rest on every side, just as he had sworn to their ancestors. Not one of their enemies withstood them; the Lord gave all their enemies into their hands. Not one of all the Lord’s good promises to Israel failed; every one was fulfilled.

language of all, every side, not one, all, all. every.

Heart of this chapter is about God’s glorious provision for his people, see in 2 ways, as writer focuses now on Levites.

Levites arereally helpful parable of the Chrstian life, they did not inherit land, sojourners, temporary residents of land not theirs - to be a permenant remidner for the peopel that though they were in promised land, and had recieve inheritance - it was not their ultimate inheritance final inheritance. And true for us. We are foreigners in this land - awaiting our heavenly dwelling, and so this passage speaks to us about God’s provision for us on the journey.

And this chapter we see this played out in 2 ways

God provides for our earthly needs

Names make it a bit baffling, but simply, writer describes is what the Levites recieve. v3-7 get summary, before more detail in v8-40, before conclusion in v41 - 3 parts Kohathites, Gershonites and Merarites, who all played their part in overseeing the right worhip of God.

This was to be their joy and privaledge, this was their inheritance - but they also had same basic need as everyone else - to live and eat!

This is where come to one of questions - what did God give the Levites - each of the various tribes within it?

Noticed this straight away, spent ages looking for deeper meaning - was it to do with providing for the sacrifices - would have be good, but not told. Simple point author wants us to know. Essential theology for the Christian life. God keeps his promises and provides his pepole what they need.

God gives themm somewhere to live and provide food for themselves.

He gives his pepole their daily bread! Sometimes just enough, but always enough.

Psalm 23.

think of meadow of grass and abundance - but let me show you scene orginal writer and hearer had in mind.

Treasures Untold: Psalm 23 (kristintigges.blogspot.com)

Why shepherd would lead from front because sheep would know that he would lead them to daily provision. - just what they needed. Reliant on good shepherd.

So often we worry because we get caught up in the stuff we don’t need and forget to praise God for giving us what we do need.

Matthew 6 image

Matthew 6:25–33 NIV

“Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. Is not life more than food, and the body more than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly Father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Can any one of you by worrying add a single hour to your life? “And why do you worry about clothes? See how the flowers of the field grow. They do not labor or spin. Yet I tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. If that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you—you of little faith? So do not worry, saying, ‘What shall we eat?’ or ‘What shall we drink?’ or ‘What shall we wear?’ For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly Father knows that you need them. But seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be given to you as well.

What is the answer to worry - its worship.

Lord’s prayer - doesnt start with give us our daily bread. Starts

Philippians 4:4–7 NIV

Rejoice in the Lord always. I will say it again: Rejoice! Let your gentleness be evident to all. The Lord is near. Do not be anxious about anything, but in every situation, by prayer and petition, with thanksgiving, present your requests to God. And the peace of God, which transcends all understanding, will guard your hearts and your minds in Christ Jesus.

Where do you need to remember God’s earthly provision. Every good gift is from. He will give you what you really need. so that you might live and serve him.

But he also provides much more - providing for our deepest need.

God provides for our spiritual needs

In one sense the focus on Levites highlights for us God meeting the Spiritual need of the people. The responsibility for the tabernacle, and sacrifices and offerings, so that the peopel could enjoy a right relationship with God.

We’ve seen previously how this language of tabernacle and offering and sacrifice is a picture of God’s Holiness, and our need of reconcilation and mediation, fulfilled of course in the Lord Jesus through his death and ressurection and recieved through faith. Our greatest Spiritual need has been met in Jesus, as we have been reconciled to God, through faith becoming the people of God.

But I don’t think that is focus of this passage. There is no mention in this passage of Levites performing any preistly duty, or any details of the tabernacle.

In this passage what writer is showing us is how God provides for our every day Spiritual need. How he in the everyday administers his grace to this people that they might keep trusting him.

Seen in second question I asked.

Where do the Levites live? Is it one location or many?

Aren’t all centred around Shiloh (place of rest).

Image of spread (either real or symbol)

Why spread? Just part of curse? Purpose

That the worship of God remain the very centre of the people of God wherever they are.

What would be function of priests - to minister the word of God to the people in the different cities and tribes and regions, so that they might continually remember who God is, be protected from turning away, and worship God in local expresisons.

God meets the peoples Spiritual need by meeting them where they are, with constant reminder of his promises as the Levites continually live and minister the word of God - with goal that people might cling to his promises, to live in obdience to his word. How does he do this - through preisthood scattered amoungst the people. Also a contant reminder that though they have so much, this is not their final inheritance.

Its this dispersion of the Levites I think writer wants us to focus on. Because it’s in this we see our application through lens of the gospel. How does God administer his presence amoung his people today?

John 16:1–15 (NIV)

“All this I have told you so that you will not fall away…v7 very truly I tell you, it is for your good that I am going away. Unless I go away, the Advocate will not come to you; but if I go, I will send him to you. v13 But when he, the Spirit of truth, comes, he will guide you into all the truth. He will not speak on his own; he will speak only what he hears, and he will tell you what is yet to come. He will glorify me because it is from me that he will receive what he will make known to you. All that belongs to the Father is mine. That is why I said the Spirit will receive from me what he will make known to you.”

How does God provide for his peoples need today? He sends his Spirit to dwell in each one of us, interceding for us before the Father, united us to Christ, but also that we might be a priesthood of all believers who minister God’s word to one another, bring each other into the presence of God.

Ordinary means of grace, provided by our extrodinarily gracious God. Key element of the survival kit for the Christian life is a

Word centred Spirit empowered chuch family.

As people of God, use the gifts that God has given them to serve one another in the gospel.

NT model for chuch - elders and deacons. Elders over see Spiritual provision of body, while deacons (ministry team leaders) oversea the practical provision.

God has given us everything we need for life and Godliness. So application is simple friends.

Be instrument of God’s generousity

Need to be really careful not to resent the body of Christ. What to us looks weird, and messy and awkward is God’s method of displaying his manifold wisdom.

Sometimes we want some experience, looking for signs and wonders. Something extraordinary. Not saying this don’t happen, but we need to be careful that we won’t take for granted or over look the ordinary things that God has given us to keep us walking faithfully with him.

We read of stories of God’s miraculous provision, either in bible or more recent, and can be tempting to think that is normal. Or that we are missing something. But in over emphasising these we can miss out on what God asks of us.

How does God fulfil his promise to provide Pasture for the Levites, where does it come from? It’s as the rest of the people from their wealth. As God’s generosity to them overflows in very earthly way. It doesn’t make it any less supernatural. Caleb demands this land in chapter 14, and then gives it away!

How will God provide for his people materially? As we let God’s geneousity to us overflow in the way we use our resources. I’ve been so encouraged by those of you who have given up your homes for Ukrainian brothers and sisters. And those who are unable to do so have given money to. This is God’s provision played out in the everyday. As we as individuals and a church let God’s geneousity to us flow out to our brothers and sisters. its why every year at least 10% of our income is givne to gospel work outside our walls.

And this is just as true for God’s provision for our Spiritual need? How is the Christian to keep walking with Jesus every day until he returns. How are we to survive and grow through trials and adversity. By the power of the Spirit of course - but how does the Spirit work?

By the ordinary means of grace given to the church.

As we gather together around the Lords supper and remember the Lord Jesus

As we gather together to sing his promises to one another

As we gather together around his word preached, or in small groups, or one to one.

As we speak Jesus to each other in every day conversations.

As we pray for one anothe, mourning and rejoicing together and lifting our adoration, or confession, our thanksgiving, and our supplication to him.

In all these things God is providing for our greatest need, as we let his extraodinary geneoursity flow out of in ordinary ways.

Friends, don’t resent the ordinary Sunday gathering. Becuase it is God’s extraodinary provision of grace delivered through one another. As God’s people called to serve in what ever ways God has given, whether practical or Spiritual, empowered by the Spirit, meeting each others needs for the building of his chuch and the glory of his name.

And it all flows out of God’s generousity to us. There is not one thing we need that he has not provided, if we will only put all our trust in him,, our perfectly faithful, promise keeping God, who will meet all your needs according to the riches of his glory in Christ Jesus. Let us give him praise and thanks.

Read together?

Psalm 23 NIV

A psalm of David. The Lord is my shepherd, I lack nothing. He makes me lie down in green pastures, he leads me beside quiet waters, he refreshes my soul. He guides me along the right paths for his name’s sake. Even though I walk through the darkest valley, I will fear no evil, for you are with me; your rod and your staff, they comfort me. You prepare a table before me in the presence of my enemies. You anoint my head with oil; my cup overflows. Surely your goodness and love will follow me all the days of my life, and I will dwell in the house of the Lord forever.

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